Galaxy – July 2, 2007 – Port Review -- Part 6, Naples

[Almagetty]

Cast of Characters: Me, my husband (mid 40’s) and our two teenaged daughters (17 & 14); traveling with several other families, including my parents (mid 60’s) and many teenagers.

 

Naples: Full Day Amalfi Drive & Pompeii with the awesome Marcello Maresca of See Sorrento

 

What can I say about Marcello Maresca? He is awesome, one-of-a-kind and gave us a spectacular day on his beloved Amalfi Coast. This day was the perfect farewell kiss to an indescribably wonderful vacation.

 

In the weeks before I left, there were some less than stellar comments about Marcello on this board. I’ll admit, it did give me pause. Let me say this, Marcello and his fellow drivers Marco and Giussepe (who drove the rest of our group) delivered exactly what Marcello had promised in his e-mail correspondence with us. At no time did I feel unsafe with his driving. The drivers in the Naples area drive like maniacs, but Marcello had full and perfect control of his vehicle at all times. He kept us entertained with his comments all through the day.

 

Marcello is the first to say that he is a driver. You hire him to drive. If you want someone to take you to Sorrento, Positano or Amalfi and drop you off for shopping, you should hire someone else. Marcello has a very well thought out, very full day planned of driving the entire Amalfi Coast, with a stop for lunch and a stop in Pompeii. Quite frankly, if this is not what you have in mind, Marcello is not your guy.

 

The Amalfi Coast is the most beautiful place that I have ever seen. Lunch al fresco overlooking the Coast was wonderful. Pompeii was great. I had been told by so many that Pompeii was dusty and disappointing. Nothing could have been further from what I experienced. We hired a guide for Pompeii through Marcello and he was very good. This day was like a dream come true. I would go back in a heartbeat. And, if I returned, Marcello would be the person I would choose to show me more of the area.

 

Thank you to the Preismans for their recommendation. You were spot on!

[llandaff]

Thank you for writing this. I have Marcello booked for next May so it's great to hear another positive review; I too was slightly worried by some other opinions. I have to say, though, my correspondence with Marcello has been wonderful and I'm really looking forward to our tour with him.

[Almagetty]

Our correspondence leading up to our cruise (we booked him a year prior to our cruise) was great also. As long as you understand what you're getting when you book your day with him, you will love it. I'm jealous that you still have this exprience to look forward to!! Enjoy!

[ussminnow]

Hi, Almagetty! Can you tell me how much time you got to spend in Pompeii during your tour?

[Almagetty]

Hi USSMinnow:

 

We had 1 hour and 45 minutes for Pompeii. This will give you a good overview of the site. Pompeii is somewhere where you could spend many hours and still not see everything!

[Maineac]

Hi Almagetty,

 

I would love to take the Amalfi Drive but am a bit concerned about car sickness.....:eek: Was it an issue at all?

[Almagetty]

Hi Maineac:

 

We had 24 people split up into 3 vans and no one got carsick. That being said, if it is of concern, would it help if you took a dramamine or bonine before you started off, just in case? I know when we went to Alaska, since I didn't know how my family (and I!!) would respond to the helicopter and the float plane, I made sure we all took a remedy before the start of the tours, just in case!!

 

The Amalfi drive is so incredibly beautiful! I would definitely recommend this as a must do excursion!

[ussminnow]

Hi USSMinnow:

 

We had 1 hour and 45 minutes for Pompeii. This will give you a good overview of the site. Pompeii is somewhere where you could spend many hours and still not see everything!

 

Thanks, Almagetty! Did you feel that you had adequate time touring the Amalfi Coast or was it a bit rushed in order to get to Pompeii? Just wondering as we also have a tour booked with Marcello and I was trying to decide whether to do the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, or just stay along the Amalfi Coast at a more leisurely pace, and try to do Pompeii when we are in Rome, maybe by train. (We are arriving 2 days before the cruise)

Thanks!

[Almagetty]

Thanks, Almagetty! Did you feel that you had adequate time touring the Amalfi Coast or was it a bit rushed in order to get to Pompeii? Just wondering as we also have a tour booked with Marcello and I was trying to decide whether to do the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, or just stay along the Amalfi Coast at a more leisurely pace, and try to do Pompeii when we are in Rome, maybe by train. (We are arriving 2 days before the cruise)

Thanks!

 

We didn't feel rushed on the Amalfi Drive, although I would have loved to have had more time there. Pompeii in an hour and 45 minutes is a rush. The best of all worlds would have given us more time on Amalfi and in Pompeii, although I'm not sure that I would sacrifice time during my two days in Rome to get it. It was our first time in Rome, and two days was definitely not enough time there for us. Tough choices all the way around!!:confused:

[yannisusa]

Almagetty I have enjoyed your reviews. Thanks for the valuable information you have provided. Can you tell me how many formal nights were held and how many informals? Also do you remember the name of the duo playing at the Rendez Vous lounge? Did they have an Italian band on the pool and at the Disco?

 

thanks, Yannis

[Almagetty]

Almagetty I have enjoyed your reviews. Thanks for the valuable information you have provided. Can you tell me how many formal nights were held and how many informals? Also do you remember the name of the duo playing at the Rendez Vous lounge? Did they have an Italian band on the pool and at the Disco?

 

thanks, Yannis

 

Hi Yannis:

 

I'm glad my reviews were of help!

 

We had three formal nights (on the 2 days at sea and on the night we left Istanbul). We had 2 informal nights, but I can't remember when they were. I don't know the name of the duo in the Rendez Vous lounge. I actually never ended up sitting there during the cruise. They do have an Italian band by the pool. We really enjoyed their music! In the disco, they had a dj.

 

Happy travels!